1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a processional travel control apparatus, which enables processional travel with a leading vehicle being driven by a driver and a plurality of vehicles automatically following the leading vehicle, and in particular, to a processional travel control apparatus which allows a vehicle to separate from the procession, and which allows an independent vehicle or another procession to incorporate into the procession.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application Nos. Hei 11-142468 and Hei 11-177532, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, techniques for processional travel with vehicles automatically following a leading vehicle on a highway have been developed. The processional travel eliminates the labor of driving the following vehicles traveling in a procession, and the distances between the vehicles can be shortened, thereby increasing the transport efficiency.
The processional travel requires a sufficient space to arrange the vehicles in order of travel, and to register the order of travel. The procession is formed in a service area, or in a dedicated port, where an environment for supporting the processional travel (e.g., a control device) can be easily provided.
No problems are encountered when the final destination of all the vehicles forming the procession is the same, and all the vehicles go to the final destination while maintaining the procession. However, for example, during the travel, one or more specified vehicles in the procession may wish to separate from the procession. When some of the vehicles are to separate from the procession, the procession must stop at a service area, must be reformed, and must be restarted.
When the separating point is located near the service area, the loss in efficiency is not that large. However, there is the problem that, when the separating point is far from the service area, the procession must be reformed (e.g., divided into two processions), and two processions must travel a long distance to the separating point, decreasing the transport efficiency.
Further, there is the problem that, when there are two or more vehicles that wish to separate at different separating points, the procession must be reformed in different service areas, which is labor-consuming work.
Further, when the procession is traveling, another vehicle or procession may wish to join the traveling procession. When two processions join, the labor of the drivers can be decreased. The vehicle or procession which was once separated from the parent procession may finish its job, and may wish to rejoin the parent procession. Thus, to incorporate another vehicle or procession in the traveling procession, the procession must stop at a service area, must be reformed, and must be restarted.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a processional travel control apparatus which can divide a procession during a processional travel.
Such a processional travel control apparatus according to the invention includes communication device (transmitter 10, and receiver 11) for sending information regarding an object vehicle position to another vehicle (electric vehicle 1 in the embodiment), and which allows processional travel with a leading vehicle (A1) and a following vehicle (A2, A3, A4, and A5) automatically following the leading vehicle, based on the information. The following vehicle comprises a device (steps S82, and S83) for sending a request to separate from the processional travel to the leading vehicle. The leading vehicle comprises a device (steps S57, S58, S60, and S61) for permitting or rejecting the separation request from the following vehicle. When the leading vehicle permits the separation request, the following vehicle is switched by a mode switching device (step S96) from automatic driving, in which the following vehicle automatically follows the leading vehicle, to manual driving by a driver.
According to the invention, even when the vehicles are traveling, some of the vehicles can be separated from the procession without stopping the traveling procession. Therefore, because even the vehicles which have different destinations can form the procession, the flexibility in formation of the procession is increased.
In another aspect of the invention, the apparatus further comprises a channel switching device (frequency switching circuit 8) for switching a communication channel. When the leading vehicle permits the separation request and there is another following vehicle (A4 and A5) which follows the following vehicle (A3) separating from the procession at the time of switching from automatic driving to manual driving, the channel switching device switches the communication device of the new procession to a communication channel (the band AS or BS) different from that of the previous procession.
According to the invention, when a plurality of vehicles are separated from the procession, the communication data can be distinguished between these separated vehicles and the remaining vehicles in the procession, thereby preventing radio interference.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a processional travel control apparatus which can incorporate an independent vehicle or a procession into another procession during a processional travel.
Such a processional travel control apparatus according to the invention includes a communication device (the transmitter 10, and the receiver 11 in the embodiment) for sending information regarding an object vehicle position to another vehicle (the vehicle 1), and allows processional travel with a group of vehicles including a leading vehicle (D1) and a following vehicle (D2, D3, and D4) automatically following the leading vehicle, based on the information. An independent vehicle (E), which travels independently from the vehicle group (DG) traveling in a procession comprises a device (steps S1124 and S1125) for sending a request to incorporate the independent vehicle into the procession to the leading vehicle. The leading vehicle comprises a device (steps S1067 and S1070) for permitting or rejecting the incorporation request from the independent vehicle. When the leading vehicle permits the incorporation request from the independent vehicle, the independent vehicle is switched by a mode switching device (step S1138) from manual driving by a driver to automatic driving in which this vehicle automatically follows the leading vehicle.
According to the invention, by incorporating an independent vehicle, which is manually driven, into the processional vehicle group, the vehicle becomes a following vehicle which is automatically driven, as well as the other vehicles following the leading vehicle. Therefore, the labor of the driver to drive the independent vehicle can be reduced. Further, because the independent vehicle can be incorporated during the processional travel, the vehicles do not have to stop at a service area and to reform a procession, thus preventing the decrease in transport efficiency.
In another aspect of the invention, the processional travel control apparatus has a communication device for sending information regarding an object vehicle position to another vehicle, and allows processional travel with groups of vehicles, each group including a leading vehicle and at least one succeeding vehicle automatically following the leading vehicle, based on the information. The leading vehicle (E1) in a second vehicle group (EG), which travels in a second procession independently from a first vehicle group (DG) traveling in a first procession, comprises a device (steps S1274 and S1275) for sending a request to join the first procession to the leading vehicle in the first procession. The leading vehicle in the first vehicle group comprises a device (step S1221 and S1224) for permitting or rejecting the incorporation request from the second vehicle group. When the leading vehicle in the first vehicle group permits the incorporation request from the second vehicle group, the leading vehicle in the second vehicle group is switched by a mode switching device (step S1234) from manual driving by a driver to automatic driving in which this vehicle automatically follows the leading vehicle in the first vehicle group, and becomes a following vehicle (F4, and F5) in a new vehicle group (FG) and follows the leading vehicle in the first vehicle group.
According to the invention, when the second vehicle group traveling in a procession joins the first vehicle group, the following vehicles and the leading vehicles in the second vehicles group become following vehicles in a new procession following the leading vehicle in the first vehicle group. Thus, the labor of the driver to drive the leading vehicle in the second vehicle group can be reduced. Further, because the second vehicle group joins the first vehicle group during the processional travel, the vehicles do not have to stop at a service area and to reform a procession, thus preventing the decrease in transport efficiency.
In another aspect of the invention, the apparatus further comprises a channel switching device (frequency switching circuit 8) for switching a communication channel. When the leading vehicle in the first vehicle group permits the joining request from the second vehicle group and the second vehicle group joins the first vehicle group, the channel switching device sets the communication channel for the second vehicle group to the same as that for the first vehicle group.
According to this invention, when the leading vehicle in the first vehicle group permits the joining request from the second vehicle group and the second vehicle group joins the first vehicle group, the channel switching device sets the communication channel for the second vehicle group to the same as that for the first vehicle group. Thus, this establishes the communication environment for the new procession which combines two vehicle processions, and the processional travel of the new vehicle group can be smoothly performed.